Vehicle wash systems have become a common way for vehicle owners to quickly and efficiently have their vehicles cleaned without having to wash and clean them by hand. Depending upon how dirty the vehicle is, the level of cleanliness the vehicle owner seeks to achieve, and the amount of money the vehicle owner is willing to spend, there are a variety of different types of vehicle wash systems with different service options available to meet those needs. For example, full service vehicle wash systems provide vehicle operators with both interior and exterior vehicle cleaning services. These are generally the most expensive type of vehicle wash systems. Self-service type vehicle wash systems offer vehicle owners a less expensive option for cleaning their vehicles. However, with these types of systems, vehicle owners must operate the equipment themselves to clean the interior and/or exterior of their vehicles. The most common type of vehicle wash systems are those that offer exterior vehicle cleaning services only and which are often embodied as conveyerized tunnel systems or roll over machines. In terms of price, these last type of vehicle wash systems are generally priced in between the other two types of vehicle wash systems.
Each of the above-described vehicle wash systems typically presents vehicle owners with a variety of different cleaning and treatment options and services for varying fees. For example, most vehicle wash systems (whether full service or conventional) generally offer vehicle owners a basic wash package that consists of treating a vehicle exterior with conventional cleaning services. This basic wash package is generally provided for a base fee and is often referred to as a regular or base wash. For customers that want additional treatments or services to be performed on their vehicle, many vehicle wash systems offer an upgraded package that includes additional services for payment of an increased fee, such as an under body wash or a tire shine. Other customers may want the “works” and many vehicle wash systems offer a still further upgraded package which includes all of its premium services. The additional services in these upgraded packages, which are often referred to as premium packages, can include an under body rust inhibitor or a tire polish. The premium packages are generally available at a fee that is higher than any of the other packages available.
Once a vehicle owner makes a selection of a desired package and pays the appropriate fee, he relies on the operator of the vehicle wash system to implement the appropriate package that the vehicle owner paid for. However, it is not uncommon for a vehicle owner to select and pay for one package and have the wash system provide a different package. This can occur through inadvertent entry of the package selection into the controller by a wash owner/operator or improper intent on the part of the operator of or worker at the vehicle wash system to pocket the difference between the package paid for and that provided.
Additionally, this discrepancy often goes uncorrected as vehicle owners would have a very difficult time noticing this error during the vehicle wash process, even if they know what to look for. This is because the environment within a vehicle wash facility is generally dark with little light and thus visibility for vehicle owners is usually very poor. Couple this with the fact that the vehicle windows are usually covered with soap and water during the vehicle wash process and it is very difficult for vehicle owners to see what components are actually treating their vehicle. As this practice is known to occur and it is difficult to rectify after the fact, some vehicle owners are dissuaded from purchasing packages with additional services for fear that those services will not be provided. This has resulted in a significant loss of revenue for the car wash industry.
It is also known that lighted signs are utilized in the vehicle wash industry as well as other industries for advertising purposes and to communicate discrete information through the use of lettering indicia. These lighted signs only communicate information statically as they communicate unitary pre-programmed information. For example, in the vehicle wash industries, lighted signs are used to communicate that a particular service is being provided. Specifically, some vehicle wash systems employ a sign adjacent a hot wax system, which will light up to illuminate the name of the hot wax chemical provider when hot wax service is being applied to a vehicle. Conversely, if the hot wax service is not being performed, the sign is not illuminated. These signs thus are only capable of communicating very limited information.
It would thus be desirable to provide a method and system that overcomes these disadvantages and limitations with existing vehicle wash systems and lighted signs.